


The Land and the Sea

by Doctor_Discord



Series: Fantasy AU [1]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Cute, Disapproving Family, Everyone Is Gay, Falling In Love, Fear, First Kiss, First Meetings, Gay, Gift Giving, Gods, Gorgons (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Grief/Mourning, How Do I Tag, Loneliness, Love Confessions, Magic, Mermen, Nymphs & Dryads, Overprotective, Pixies, Separations, Sphinxes, house arrest, i love this, merfolk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-14 17:04:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18952312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doctor_Discord/pseuds/Doctor_Discord
Summary: Fantasy AU based on my interpretation of the egos in my Ego Manor series!King has been watching the ocean for centuries, always desiring to go and see it up close but never quite having the courage to. But one day, he barrels past his inhibitions and decides to see. And everything changes and flips upside-down, but for the better.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome, to the Fantasy AU extravaganza! Yes, I know I said I'd take a break, but I've been thinking about this thing for a long time, and just could never decide when and where to stick it into the series, so I just said 'fuck it' and wrote it. So enjoy!

King hummed idly to himself, wisping from his tree to sit on a branch and tend to a robin’s nest tucking against the trunk, hidden from the ground by the perfect green leaves he nurtured so carefully. The baby birds, featherless and ugly and completely dependent on their mother, chirped and squawked at him, fluttering their little wings. King chuckled, ghosting a finger over one’s tiny little head. “Hello to you, too, little ones! I’m sure your mother’ll be back soon!”

The birds peeped some more, tangling themselves together, and the dryad joined back with his home, reappearing several branches up to check up on the squirrel nest expertly woven to his branches. He grinned, eyes lighting up, when he spotted the _very_ pregnant red squirrel curled up inside. Squirrels always were his favorite visitors… “Hey Vita! How are you holding up? Shouldn’t be long now, right?”

The squirrel just chattered, lifting her head and closing her eyes when King scratched the top of her head, body vibrating as she purred. He let out a delighted giggle before disappearing back into his tree.

King sighed, reappearing sitting among the roots, leaning up against the trunk with his knees pulled up to his chest as he stared out at the ocean. The waves gently lapped at the shore, tantalizingly close. King had his feet buried in the grass, but if he extended his leg his heel would brush the beginnings of the sandy beach. He’d been watching the ocean for as long as he could remember, curiosity plaguing him every time he caught a glance out of the corner of his eye. He belonged to his tree, to the wide stretch of forest that extended beyond it.

But there was just something so _alluring_ about the waves.

King fidgeted where he sat, frowning and clenching his fists. There was an abandoned pier, a little to the right, with a small, equally abandoned cabin not too far from its beginning. A long time ago, a human family lived here. King remembered their son. And it would be _so easy_ to just get up, walk along the pier and just… _something_. Do _something_.

King made a frustrated noise, forehead connecting with his knees before his head shot up again. He hesitantly got to his feet, taking a couple of uncertain steps forward, till his toes dug into the sand. This is as far as he’s ever gotten before, always chickening out before he could take that one last step and _commit_ –

Squeezing his eyes shut, King sprinted forward, gasping and skidding to halt just as quickly at the feel of sand instead of grass and dirt beneath him. He shifted a little, cocking his head to the side. It was…unlike anything he’s ever felt before. It felt _squishy_ , not firm like the ground, and when he shifted again his feet became buried a little. It was… _strange_. It was _amazing_.

King beamed, laughing a little as he spread his arms and lifted one foot, watching the sand fall. He repeated the move with his other foot, wobbling a little. Suddenly his face fell, and he glanced over his shoulder. His tree still stood on the little stretch of plainland between the forest and the beach, like a lone guardian, as tall and proud as ever. King’s smile slowly returned, and he bounced a little in place before leaping onto the pier and running along it, the wood firm and familiar beneath his feet.

He halted when he reached the edge, gripping onto the railing. He inched forward a bit, till his toes were curled over the edge of the wood, and he leaned forward, peering down into the depths. It wasn’t as blue as he thought it would be up close, more a murky green. He swallowed nervously when he realized he couldn’t see the bottom, shifting back those extra inches. Though he was unwilling to leave when he was _this close_. So, instead, he crouched down, keeping one hand on the wooden railing just for familiar comfort as he continued to stare downwards. He could see his reflection. He’d only ever seen it in small rain puddles that formed near his tree, and the push and pull of the water made it look…hypnotizing and strange.

That is, until he realized the grinning face staring back at him was _not_ his own.

King _shrieked_ , falling backwards and scrambling away from the edge. His breath came in rapid gasps, his eyes wide and _terrified_. At least, until he realized the ocean was _laughing_ , beautiful, bubbling, mildly maniac sounding laughter. King swallowed hard, picking himself up off the pier to inch back closer again, but he didn’t get very far before there was a splashing noise and _someone_ was appearing on the edge of the pier, their arms crossed and chin resting on them with the rest of them dangling over the edge still.

It was…a boy. With beautiful, glittery black hair that curled in a way that reminded King of the waves, somehow fluffy and dry looking even though he was just underwater. Purple scales shimmered in patches along his arms and face, contrasting gloriously with his bronze skin. When King crept cautiously closer still, he could see that his eyes were warm and brown and bright with laughter still. When he grinned, King could see the edges of his canines, small, but razor sharp.

The boy laughed again, eyes flicking over him and seemingly finding amusement in his timidness. “Hello!”

King cleared his throat, waving one hand like he’d seen humans do. “H-hi.”

The boy giggled, boosting himself up a little more, and King could see more glimmering purple scales trailing down his neck. A cheeky expression crossed his features, his tongue poking out a little between his teeth. “After you’ve stared at my face for so long, I think introductions are in order. I’m Bim. You’re a dryad, right?”

King flushed at the boy’s – Bim’s – first words, but his eyes quickly widened. “How did you know?”

Bim snorted. “Well for starters, you’re green. And your ears are all pointy. _Definitely_ not human.” King glanced down at one hand, at his green-tinted skin, while the other ran over the top of an ear. Bim’s grin softened into a warm smile. “What’s your name?”

King shrugged. “I…technically don’t have one. But the others call me King.”

Bim raised an eyebrow. “King huh? Why’s that? And ‘others’?”

King fidgeted a little at so many questions at once, shifting into a cross-legged position before glancing over his shoulder, at his lone tree. “See that tree,” he asked, pointing. “That’s me. I watch over the forest. I’m their guardian of sorts.”

Bim’s eyes widened, his mouth falling open a little. “ _Oh!_ You’re the one we keep seeing staring at the ocean!” His grin returned. “You know, I had a bet on how long it would take you to finally come over here.”

King flushed, fiddling with the end of his robe, colored to seamlessly blend in with his bark. “And um…did you win?”

Bim’s grin widened and he just winked.

King cleared his throat again, nervousness giving way as his curiosity returned like one of the crashing waves he could hear on the shore behind them, and he scooted a little closer. “Um…if you don’t mind me asking…what are you?” He tilted his head. “I’ve never seen anything like you. And I’ve met a _lot_ of creatures over the past centuries.”

Bim smiled. “Right! Mister Land Dweller’s probably never met a _merman_ before.”

Before King could properly comprehend his sentence, Bim was arching his tail over his head, showering them both in water. King gasped, jaw dropping. He glanced at Bim’s face, at his _highly_ amused expressions, before reaching hesitantly up. “Can…c-can I…?”

Bim brought his tail down lower for him, and King trailed his fingers across the smooth sleek scales. He stopped when Bim shuddered, his forehead dropping to his arms. “I-I-I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?”

Bim raised his head again. “No. It’s just a bit…weird. It’s like…what if someone just came up and stroked your…whatever _these_ are.” He jabbed at King’s legs with a finger, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

King laughed, smiling brightly as he continued to pet Bim’s tail. “They’re called _legs_.”

Bim snorted. “I don’t like them. Too fleshy. How do you swim?”

King paused, hands dropping back to lap, and Bim lowered his tail back into the water. “I…don’t know. I don’t even know _how_ to swim. I don’t think I could even go in the water, not without drowning immediately. But I’ve seen humans do it before.”

Bim made a humming noise, brief, but the musical tone still had King’s eyelids drooping and his mind fogging. But it was over in the blink of an eye, Bim’s eyes still narrowed. He opened his mouth to say more, but a call not unlike a whale’s song echoed across the ocean, bellowing and haunting and rolling with the waves. Bim’s head shot up, eyes going wide. “That’s my cue! I have to go!” He made to dive back into the water, but he paused, flashing King a beaming smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow? At sunset?”

King nodded, smiling softly himself. “Okay.”

Bim winked, and he was gone, the water splashing in his wake.

King scrambled to the edge of the pier, gazing down into the water just in time to see the last flash of purple of Bim’s tail. Slowly, he smiled, standing and brushing the sand of his thin, toga-like robe before making his way back to his tree, where the baby birds still chirped and Vita still chattered.

For some reason, he found himself looking forward to tomorrow’s sunset.


	2. Chapter 2

Bim sped toward his home, tail moving so fast his fins were almost a blur in the water. He only slowed when he reached his pod, reached the underwater civilization built _miles_ out from shore. He ignored the other merfolk loitering about the streets, slamming the door to his own home and drifting lazily up to his bed, leaving the door to his room wide open with a bright, dopey grin on his face.

“Bim! How many times have I told you not to slam the door?”

Bim groaned, rolling over and using one arm as a pillow to face one of the other two in the house. “Sorry, Dad. Forgot. I was excited!”

Dark huffed, crossing his arms, his shark-like tail flicking a bit in the water and sending a few grey and dull scales floating the floor. “You are _just_ like your father, I swear.”

Bim grinned lazily, shifting position again so his head hung upside off his bed, his tail curling forward so his fins brushed his stomach. “I’m part you, too, you know! All this fabulousness isn’t _just_ Wilford.”

“I’m being summoned?” Wilford poked his head out of the kitchen, the bright pink scales that decorated his face, arms, neck, and ribs glinting. He swam further out into the main area of the house, pecking Dark on the cheek and making him flush. Wilford chuckled before turning back to Bim. “What’s got you so excited anyway?”

Bim’s bright smile returned, righting himself and propping his cheeks up on his fists. “I met a boy today.”

Wilford gasped, clapping his hands excitedly and his tail twirling. “Ooooh! What was he like, don’t spare any details!”

Bim laughed when Dark elbowed his partner. “ _Wil_. This is our _child_ , not your latest drama act!”

“Exactly! He’s _better!_ ” Wilford came sprinting up to Bim’s bed and grabbing his hand, pulling him down to where Dark still floated. “ _Spill!_ ”

Bim laughed again, lying flat on his back on the floor and flicking his tail idly, his hands laced behind his head. “Well for starters…he’s a dryad.”

Immediately, both Dark and Wilford’s demeanors changed. “You went to the shore again,” Dark snapped, uncrossing his arms and narrowing his eyes. “You _know_ we don’t like you going there! It’s _dangerous!_ ”

Wilford laid down beside him, reaching for his hand. “We’re trying to protect you here. We’ve lost too many to dumb humans with fishing nets.”

“I _know_ , I know, okay!” Bim pushed him upright, shaky himself free of Wilford and running a hand through his hair. “But where I went today was really secluded! I don’t think humans have been there in _years_. And he’s super sweet and shy and…and _really_ cute.” He flushed, scratching at his tail with the memory of King’s hands running across it.

Dark sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. “At least…when you go back, bring someone along with you. So they can get help if necessary.”

Bim frowned. “Hey, I’m not an idiot! I always bring Silver! It’s just, he panicked and left when he saw the dryad approaching the water.”

Dark raised an eyebrow. “I love Silver, but that selkie is little comfort when he lets you get away with _everything_.”

Bim grinned. “Exactly why I always bring him along!”

Dark smacked a palm to his forehead, and Wilford laughed, eyes lighting up. “So, tell us more about this _dryad_. You said he was cute?”

Bim flushed further, but nodded. “ _And_ pretty. Like I can’t describe it. He just looks… _pretty_ , with little pointed ears and like, green-tinted skin and hair. He was super curious and in awe of practically everything I did. And…I’d never _talked_ to him before, but I’ve _seen_ him _plenty_ of times. Whenever I go there, he’s always looking out at the ocean. Silver and I had a bet on how long it’d take him to work out the courage to come see it.”

Wilford grinned. “Did you win?”

Bim snorted. “Of course I did.”

Dark sighed again. “Please don’t tell me you already made plans to see him again.”

Bim shrunk, adverting his gaze. “Sorry. Tomorrow. At sunset.”

Wilford laughed, waggling his eyebrows. “ _Romantic_.”

Bim thumped him in the chest, shoving him away. “ _Shut up!_ ”

Dark chuckled before swimming over, brushing Bim’s hair from his eyes. “All that being said… _be careful_ , Bim. We don’t want to lose you.” He pressed a kiss to Bim’s forehead (which Bim pulled a face at), before retreating to the kitchen. “You’re taking Silver with you tomorrow. _And_ Eric.”

Bim slumped. “Awww, but _Daaaad!_ He’s my one weakness! I can’t say no to him!”

Dark poked his head out of the kitchen, grinning widely, his vampiric fangs _very_ visible. “I know. That is the point, son.”


	3. Chapter 3

King hummed happily to himself, sitting cross-legged on one of the highest branches of his tree, his back to the trunk and tongue poking out as worked on his little project. A flower crown rested in his hands, half-done and made of little pink flowers, the petals still shimmering with his magic. He didn’t _quite_ know how to make it water proof, but right now he was just focusing on getting it _done_ while still glancing at the ocean every five seconds, squinting and hoping for a flash of purple even though sunset was _hours_ away.

“ _Hey King!_ ”

The dryad jumped, starting violently and immediately melding back into his tree, leaving the flower crown on the branch. He scowled, however, reemerging when he heard high-pitched, _obnoxious_ laughter, picking up his flower crown and checking to see if anything was damaged. “ _Jims!_ What have I _told_ you two about _doing that!_ ”

He batted at the two pixies, who both giggled and danced around his fingers. “Sorry King!” The timider Jim sounded genuinely apologetic as he sat down on the branch in front of King as the other continued to buzz around his head like a bee. Neither were taller than King’s middle finger.

“We just came to say that Dr. Iplier and the Host are on their way!” The other Jim laughed, flitting out of reach when King swatted him again. “They’ll be here pretty soon!”

King’s eyes widened. Gently hanging his flower crown on one of the nearby branches and gently guiding the branch to grow in a way so it would fall off, he rejoined his tree, reappearing standing by the roots. “While I appreciate the heads up, next time, try not to _scare me half to death!_ ”

The Jims giggled, zipping around his head a couple of times before hovering out of reach when King nearly fell over himself trying to bat at them. “ _How_ do you two manage to be so helpful yet so _painfully annoying_ at the same time?!”

The Jims said nothing, just exchanged glances and laughed, zipping around the tree in circles.

King pouted, crossing his arms and leaning up against the tree as he waited for his visitors. He didn’t have to wait long, however, before a deafening roar echoed through the forest, scaring the baby birds into startled chirping and Vita chattering wildly. King was quick to comfort, popping up beside the birds’ nest first and using his magic to soothe the pregnant squirrel. He didn’t even glance down when the tree shook, something _heavy_ landing on the ground beside it. “Do you _have_ to roar whenever you make an entrance? You scared them.”

“Sorry.” Finally, King looked down, raising an unamused eyebrow at the languidly stretching Dr. Iplier, the sphinx yawning hugely with his massive canines blatantly on display and his wings stretched to their full length. “You can’t _blame_ me, King. It’s part of my shtick!”

King scoffed, turning back to the baby birds, who were gradually calming down. “Uh huh, sure. You just like to be dramatic.”

“Indeed he does.”

King quickly scrambled to attention at the sound of that voice, reappearing by his trunk and bowing low. Even the Jims quieted down and stilled. King didn’t look up when he spoke, smiling slightly. “Host! It’s been a while!”

The Host chuckled, gently guiding King back upright with a finger under his chin. “King is well-aware he does not need to bow for the Host. He is a friend.”

King’s smile widened. “Old habits die hard.”

The old god smiled, the bandages wrapped around his eyes looking fresher than King had seen them in a good long while. He turned back to Dr. Iplier, trailing a hand down one of his wings. “Dr. Iplier should be more mindful. He is well-aware of King’s power over this forest. He could crush him if he desired.”

Dr. Iplier huffed, settling down as his tail flicked back forth, idly licking one paw. “Yeah, except I know he won’t. He’s too passive.”

King narrowed his eyes, planting his hands on his hips. “ _Hey!_ I didn’t give birth to this entire forest and its nymphs _and_ live to be over 600 years old – which, mind you, is _extremely_ rare for an oak – by being _passive_.”

Dr. Iplier blinked in surprise at his tone, and the Host laughed again, continuing to run his fingers through his guardian’s feathers and fur. Even the Jims giggled a little, flitting about. Dr. Iplier cleared his throat, then lowered his head, rolling over onto his back and spreading his wings in a _clear_ attempt at trying to knock over the Host, a move he sidestepped with ease. “Whatever.”

King laughed, turning to his tree and placing a hand on it, feeding it magic. “I’ll get your parchment, Host. How much do you want this time?”

]The Host frowned. “Not as much as last time. The Host never got a chance to apologize. King nearly didn’t come back from that. And…” He blushed lightly. “…Dr. Iplier was _infuriatingly_ insistent that the Host leave his library more. The Host has been a bit… _distant_ from humanity these past few decades.”

Dr. Iplier snorted, twisting to bat playfully at the Host’s pristine white toga, a golden sash wrapped around his waist. “Yeah, no shit. You’ve got an entire city built around you, and when you don’t come out for 70 years people get worried.”

King chuckled, withdrawing his hand from his tree and stumbling away a little, his green tint a little duller than usual and his tree slightly wilted, a couple stacks of long rolls of parchment at his feet. “Well, there you are. That should last you a few decades or so.”

The Host smiled softly as King stumbled again, slumping back against his trunk and closing his eyes. The Host placed a hand on King’s forehead, his other resting on the tree. King heard him mutter under his breath for a few seconds, and when he stopped, King was back to his usual color and his tree healthy once more.

King couldn’t help but bow slightly again, eyes still closed. “Thank you, Host.”

The Host ran a hand through King’s hair before bending down to gather the parchment. “Please, it is the least the Host could do for King, especially after he has helped the Host for so long.” The parchment piled in his arms, the Host spoke rapidly again, and with a few more muttered words it was gone, presumably resting on his desk back in his library. “The Host and Dr. Iplier should get going once more. The Host is getting… _anxious_.”

Dr. Iplier snorted again, rolling back over to right himself. “Yeah, a side-effect of not interacting with living people besides _me_ for nearly three quarters of a century.”

The Host pouted, and King laughed, finding amusement in their ‘old married couple’-like bickering as always. He batted at the Jims again when one poked at his ear. “ _Hey!_ Go away you two!” The pixies giggled, zipping off at last, and King huffed, straightening his robe. Suddenly his demeanor shifted, becoming shy and timid once more. “By the way, I’ve always wanted to ask, but um…what’s a sphinx a doctor of?”

Dr. Iplier perked up, tailing flicking back and forth as his eyes lit up. He opened his mouth, but the Host beat him to it with a snort of laughter. “ _Bitching_.”

King burst into laughter as Dr. Iplier snarled, baring his fangs and growling lowly as his head snapped to face the Host. “ _Hey!_ It’s my ‘bitching’ that keeps _you_ from becoming a recluse!” His posture slowly shifted as he spoke, crouching low and shuffling his feet. The Host raised an eyebrow, smirking, but before he could do anything Dr. Iplier was pouncing, pinning the Host down with his massive lion paws resting on his shoulders. He grinned, slightly terrifying with his fangs. “ _Ha!_ Got you!”

“Think again.”

King muffled a snort into his hand when Dr. Iplier whipped around, tail thrashing. The Host was standing a few feet away, hands clasped behind his back with a wide grin, and ‘the Host’ pinned beneath Dr. Iplier’s paws turned to dust before their eyes. Dr. Iplier growled lowly again, sounding less human and far more like a lion. “Oh you utter _bastard!_ Come here!”

He pounced again, knocking the Host to the ground, but the old god turned to dust just like before, revealed standing another few feet away. King could help but smile, leaning back against his trunk with his arms crossed, as he watched the two beings who were _millenniums_ old play around like children as Dr. Iplier continued to pounce and the Host continued to evade.

He started when Dr. Iplier roared again, pouncing once more and pinning the Host to the grass. This time, he didn’t turn to dust, and Dr. Iplier snarled again, his claws digging lighting in the Host’s one bare shoulder. “ _Letting_ me win isn’t fair, either!”

The Host stuck his bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout, leaning his head up to press his lips to Dr. Iplier’s nose. “ _Please_ accept the Host’s _sincerest_ apologies.”

Dr. Iplier huffed, cuffing the Host’s head lightly with claws retracted, before he promptly set about licking all over the Host’s face and making his hair stand up in odd spikes, embracing the more cat-like aspects of his nature. King snorted as the Host spluttered, attempting to push the _much_ bigger sphinx away but of course to no avail. “ _Ack!_ Doctor, _stop!_ ”

Dr. Iplier obeyed, grinning smugly down at the Host, who’s bandages were _thoroughly_ soaked through and his hair all over the place. “As you wish, _oh great one_.” He hopped off the Host, shooting another fanged grin at King, clearly proud of himself, as the Host picked himself up off the ground, brushing off his toga.

“The Host and Dr. Iplier will be leaving now.” He scowled, making a noise of disgust as he adjusted his bandages and his fingers came away with strings of saliva still connecting them to the cloth. Dr. Iplier laughed, hiding his face in his paws, and the Host flicked the saliva at him, moving to climb onto his back. He flashed King a warm smile, running a hand through his hair. “The Host thanks King for his assistance. And the Host would like to wish him _good luck_ with his new…‘friend’.” He turned to pointedly face the sea before raising an eyebrow, smirking.

King flushed, crossing his arms and melding part way with his tree. “Thanks.”

The Host chuckled, leaning forward a little to run his fingers through the fur on Dr. Iplier’s chest, and the sphinx spread his wings, launching into the air. Within seconds, they were out of sight.

King regressed completely into his tree, reappearing back on his branch with his half-completed flower crown. Looping it off the branch and checking for any possible damage in the time he was interrupted, he set to work again as the sun continued its slow crawl to the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I love my son!_


	4. Chapter 4

Bim sped toward the shore, anxiety seizing him from all sides. He could see the golden rays of the setting sun spearing through the waves to light the sea, and he was still so _far away_ –

“Bim! Wait up!”

Bim halted, accidentally front-flipping through the water in his momentum before glancing over his shoulder. Eric took Bim’s pause as a time to catch up, not nearly as speedy as him with his seahorse-like tail, the grey seal that was Silver trailing not too far behind.

Bim flicked his tail impatiently, crossing is arms and tightening his grip on his gift for King. “Hurry up, you two! We don’t have much time!”

“You shouldn’t even be _seeing_ this guy!” Silver smacked Bim on the shoulder with a flipper before bumping his snout against the same spot. “Why do you like him so much?”

Bim scowled, speeding off once more with the other two desperately trying to keep up. “If you guys were hired by my dads to sabotage me I will never forgive you. And I don’t know! He’s just…I don’t know how to describe it. I just like him, okay?” He tightened his grip again before relaxing, in fear of breaking the thing.

“Hold on, what’s in your hand?” Eric came up beside him, and Bim paled, trying to hide it from view.

“Nothing! Don’t worry about it!”

Both Eric and Silver narrowed their eyes, and Eric grabbed his arm, pulling the object into view. He gasped, tail stuttering in its movements in surprise, and Bim yanked his arm free. “Is that a _sand dollar?_ ” His wide eyes darted to Bim’s face. “Are you trying to _court him?_ ”

Bim flushed. “No! I mean, maybe! Shut up, Eric! What happened to you being shy and timid?”

Eric crossed his arms. “I’m worried about you, Bim! He’s a land dweller! Historically, we don’t mix!”

“How long did you _talk_ to this guy, Bim?” Silver bumped into him again, nosing his hand with the sand dollar.

Bim flushed darker. “Like…five minutes?”

Silver smacked him on the back of the head with a flipped. “And now you’re trying to _court_ him? Seriously?! What’s _wrong_ with you?!”

Bim made a half-hearted attempt to smack him back. “Hey, it’s only officially ‘courting’ if he gives me something back! Which I doubt he will! So don’t worry about it!”

Eric wrung his hands nervously as the shoreline entered their sights. “This is a _bad idea_ , your dads are going to be _so upset_ when they find out.”

Bim whipped around to face him, baring his fangs. “They _won’t_ find out as long as you don’t _tell them_.”

Silver made a strange snorting noise, bubbles floating up to the surface. “ _Someone_ has to keep your stupid tail in check!”

Bim hissed. “Silver, I will eat you, I swear. Pissing off a vampire-siren hybrid is _not_ in your best interests.”

Silver just snorted again, and Bim halted a few feet away from the end of the pier. He waved at them frantically, checking over the sand dollar one last time for any cracks or blemishes. “Now go away! Let me talk to him!” Eric opened his mouth, and Bim’s waving grew more insistent. “Yes yes, you can hover all you like, but just _don’t surface or bug me_ okay?”

Eric gave him a thumb’s up, and he and Silver stayed in place as Bim swam slowly over to the pier. He carefully set the sand dollar down in the sand below him before he boosted himself up with a splash, grinning widely at the sight of King already waiting for him. “Hey! Long time no see!”

King laughed, fiddling with the end of his robe, though he looked a bit…distressed. “Hi. I um…I-I thought you weren’t coming. It’s pretty late.”

Bim frowned, raising himself up a bit more. “Sorry about that. I got…held up. My parents don’t exactly… _approve_ , so they sent me bodyguards, of sorts.”

King’s eyes widened. “There are…um, there are others here?”

Bim shook his head. “Not immediately nearby. They’re out a ways. They’re just here to make sure I don’t do anything stupid.”

A tiny smirk graced King’s lips. “Is that something you’re prone to?”

Bim shrugged, smiling and flicking his tail a little, and King laughed. Bim’s face suddenly fell, and he blushed, adverting his gaze. “Um, I have something for you! It’s uh…h-hold on.”

He dived back into the water again, blatantly ignoring the twin stares he got as he gingerly picked up the sand dollar and boosted himself back onto the pier. His blush was _very_ obvious as he handed King the sand dollar, their fingers touching for a brief moment before he snatched his hand back, rubbing the back of his neck.

King audibly gasped, and Bim risked a peek at his expression. King’s lips were parted slightly, his eyes wide with awe and his cheeks _definitely_ a darker green as he ran a hand over the sand dollar. “It’s beautiful!” He flipped it over, running his fingers over the rougher grooves on the underside. “I’ve never seen anything like it!”

Bim chuckled quietly at the pure amazement in King’s voice. “It’s called a sand dollar. I spent most of the morning trying to find a perfect one. It was between that and a starfish, whichever I found first.”

King’s eyes grew impossibly wider, staring at Bim. “Star…” He glanced up at the sky, at the twinkling stars beginning to make their appearance above as dusk began to settle. He mouthed the word _‘what’_ , continuing to stroke the sand dollar, and Bim laughed a little more.

“I can bring you one. Tomorrow. I-if you want.”

King nodded slowly, swallowing hard, before he suddenly jumped, startling Bim. “Oh! I have something for you, too!”

Bim’s eyes shot wide. “You…you do?”

King smiled, nodding. He set the sand dollar aside, twisting to reach behind him. When he turned back around, there was… _something_ in his hands. A ring of sorts. Of little pink things.

Bim boosted himself up more, the beginnings of where his scales began at his waist peeking over the edge of the pier. He tilted his head curiously, brow furrowed. “…What are they?”

King gently ran a thumb over one of the pink things. “They’re flowers. It’s a flower crown. Here.” King scooted forward a bit more, reaching toward him and gently placing the flower crown on Bim’s head. Bim reached up a hand, futilely glancing up as he fingered one of the flowers. It was soft, softer than Bim anticipated. It was nice.

King glanced down, fiddling with his robe again. “Um, I-I tried my best, but uh, I don’t know how well it’ll hold up underwater.”

Bim lowered his hand, distress washing over him. “What happens if it falls apart?”

King beamed, his eyes lighting up. “Then I’ll just make you a new one!”

Bim laughed, blushing, and his fins splashed against the surface of the water as he propped his cheeks up on his fists, elbows resting on the pier. He was silent a moment, taking the time to just let his eyes drift over King, smiling a little as the dryad’s cheeks darkened a little with each passing second. “Has anyone ever told you that you are _really_ cute?”

King’s face darkened _rapidly_ , dark green spreading down his neck. “Uhhh…n-no.”

Bim grinned cheekily, waves rolling behind him from the movement of his tail. “Shame. You really are. Pretty too. _Really_ pretty.”

King’s face darkened further, and he curled forward hiding his face in his hands. “Thanks.”

Bim laughed at his muffled voice, fins smacking the surface again. “Aw, c’mon, King, you can’t hide from me after I admit that you’re cute! That’s unfair!”

King sat back upright, his face and neck _easily_ the color of dark seaweed as opposed to the usual light tint. He refused to meet Bim’s eyes, and Bim frowned, boosting himself up more. “I’m sorry, did I go too far?”

Slowly, King shook his head. “…No. I’m just…not…used to compliments. I don’t…I don’t talk to a lot of people.”

Bim’s frown deepened. “Are you all alone up here?”

Again, King shook his head. “No. I have my own family. But they don’t come out often like I do. And I had visitors today, but they only show up every few decades or so. But usually…yeah. It’s just me. And the animals that live in my tree right now.”

Bim’s voice softened. “Are you…are you lonely?”

King hesitated before replying. “…Sometimes, I guess. But it’s okay. I’m used to it.”

Bim scoffed. “Well that absolutely _will not_ do!” King started at his sudden loud voice, and Bim flashed a wide smile. “I’ll talk to you. I’ll come every day. I promise.”

King’s blush quickly returned, and Bim thought he spotted something wet under his eyes. But then King was smiling, reaching again for the sand dollar. “Thank you.” He tilted his head. “What about your parents?”

Bim scoffed again. “ _Please_ , I’ve _long_ mastered the art of evading them. And if I ever can’t make it…I’ll let you know somehow. Promise.”

King’s smile widened, laughing a little, and he timidly reached for one of Bim’s hands. Bim let him take it, pressing their palms together, and he couldn’t help but admire how different their hands were. While King’s fingers were long and slender and his skin rough, Bim’s hands were sleek and smooth, with thin webbing that went about halfway up each finger to help him swim. They were _so different_. But yet, Bim wouldn’t rather be spending time with anyone else.

Bim’s breath hitched when King shifted his hand a little, lacing their fingers together. He glanced up at the dryad’s face, eyes wide, and King smiled softly, squeezing his hand. Suddenly he gasped, his grip loosening as he stared at something over Bim’s shoulder. “What is _that?_ ”

“Hm?” Bim glanced over his shoulder, just in time to see a grey, suspiciously seal-like tail disappear beneath the water. He scowled. “ _Silver_.”

King laughed. “One of your ‘bodyguards’, I presume?” Bim nodded his head, tail slapping on the surface of the water. King squeezed his hand once more before letting go, and Bim turned back to him, head tilted and brow furrowed with confusion. King smiled. “Go on. Clearly whatever ‘Silver’ is is getting impatient. Besides…I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

Bim nodded slowly, his smile returning a little. “Same time?”

King nodded once. “Same time.”

Bim winked, and then he was letting go of the pier and falling back into the water. He allowed himself to float to the bottom, one hand holding his flower crown to his head, as he watched King peer over the edge. He flicked his tail, making it gleam _just right_ in the last of the sun’s dying rays, and apparently the flash of purple was enough to satisfy, because King smiled and retreated.

Bim flipped over, but before he could move he was bombarded by Eric and Silver. “ _What_ is on your head?”

Bim grinned lazily, tentatively letting go of the crown and his eyes lighting up with surprise when it _somehow_ stayed on his head, yet to disintegrate like King was afraid of. He turned to Silver, the asker of the question. “It’s called a flower crown, apparently. I think they’re plants.”

Eric gasped, one hand flying to his mouth and his eyes wide with what looked like _horror_. “You mean…he gave you something back?”

Bim frowned, flicking his tail once before beginning to head back home. “Yeah, so what? I like him. A _lot_. Besides, he doesn’t know what it signifies. It’s fine. There is _no need_ to tell my dads.”

“Bim, this is serious!” Silver came up beside him, his whiskers twitching. “You are _actively courting_ a land dweller!”

Bim crossed his arms, scowling. “You’re acting like it’s illegal! There aren’t any laws against it! I checked this morning! What I’m doing is perfectly fine, and Wilford actually supports it. A little, at least. It’s Dark that’s the problem.”

“He’s worried for good reason!” Eric came up on his other side, panting a little with the effort of keeping up. His tail was _really_ not meant for speed. “You’ve heard the stories! The last time Dark interacted with a land dweller –”

Bim’s scowl deepened. “– It’s all _rumor_ , Eric! My dad has _never_ interacted with the world above the ocean. He’s got too big of a stick up his ass.”

Silver made a strange, concerned barking noise. “He’s the only vampire-merfolk hybrid recorded in our history, Bim. It had to happen _somehow_.”

Bim huffed, annoyance not-so-slowly building up inside him. “I don’t want to talk about this. I’m not going to stop seeing him. Besides, I’m all he’s got. He’s…he’s lonely. I’d break him if I stopped.”

Eric reached for his hand. “One land dweller’s heart is not worth your safety, Bim.”

Bim jerked his hand away, ignoring the pang when Eric flinched at the sudden movement. “Yeah, maybe not to _you_. Just…both of you _shut up_ and let’s go home.”

“Bim, wait –”

He ignored Silver’s call and sped ahead, leaving them both choking on bubbles. He reached up a hand to finger the flower crown resting on his head. Already, he had _so many_ plans on how to ditch the two tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

Days turned into weeks, and Bim and King continued to see each other. At some point, Bim had shifted from dangling in the water to sitting up on the pier next to King, his fins still submerged in the water and stirring up the surface lightly as they held hands and talked, mainly about their different worlds.

They still brought each other gifts, too. King had two more sand dollars and four starfish, creatures he _fawned_ over when Bim brought them to him. He also had several different seashells, a _gorgeous_ conch shell, several pieces of sea glass, and a necklace made out sea glass and pearls. Bim in return had several pieces of King’s bark (which he promptly refused taking anymore once he realized it was hurting King), a shed snake’s skin that King had found, and _several_ different precious gems King had bribed from the other nymphs of the forest. And every day, King had a new flower crown for him, made of different flowers every time.

Which was what King was doing at that moment, sitting cross-legged among his roots and treasures with one of Vita’s baby squirrels (she’d give birth a week or two ago) perched on his shoulder, and rather untamable thing that chewed on his hair as he worked. His tongue poked out from between his teeth as he coaxed the little purple and yellow flowers to grow in a chain. He _knew_ Bim would like these flowers. Purple _was_ his color after all.

“Bing, I am _telling_ you, this isn’t the way.”

“Can it, Google! I know where I’m going!”

King stiffened, shooing the baby squirrel up the tree and to her mother as he regressed back into his home, leaving the flower crown amongst the roots. He’d never heard those voices before. He had no idea who was coming his way. So he hid, listening intently to the approaching voices.

“That is the _sea_ , Bing! I _told_ you we should’ve gone the other way! Now we have to backtrack who _knows_ how long!”

“You know Google, maybe if you weren’t constantly telling me how _wrong_ I am I’d have more desire to listen to you!”

“Bing, for the love of –”

King slowly emerged from his tree, curious. These two sounded lost. Perhaps he could help. But, he gasped the second he appeared, cutting off the one apparently named ‘Google’ when he saw the writhing _snakes_ on his head, a constant screaming mantra of _‘gorgon gorgon gorgon gorgon gorgon’_ going through his head as fear made his body stiff and he _immediately_ disappeared again, the branches of his tree trembling a little with the power of his terror.

“Hey wait! No, it’s okay, he won’t hurt you! His eyes are covered, we promise!”

After a long moment of hesitation, King carefully stepped out, glancing down to both avoid the gorgon’s gaze and to make sure he didn’t step on the flower crown or any of Bim’s gifts. He risked a glance up, and he relaxed marginally, his shoulders dropping a little when he saw that Google’s eyes were indeed covered, wearing something King had never seen before. Something black and reflective held in a thin wire frame, perched on the bridge of the gorgon’s nose with twin ends tucked over his ears. The rest of his body was covered by a perfect black robe.

Google was flushed, whether with shame or embarrassment or something else, King couldn’t tell, his cheeks tinted a darker blue than the rest of him with his menagerie of red, yellow, and green snakes twisting about on his head and his arms crossed. His head was tilted down, and his eyes completely obscured from view by whatever he wore. He looked…relatively passive, and King relaxed a little more at the absence of an immediate attempt to turn him to stone.

Now Google’s _companion_ was…strange. Bing did Google say his name was? His torso and up was that of a regular, bronze-skinned human, with a mess of wavy black hair and a bright smile. Where his legs should be, however, was the body of a creature King had only seen once when one had dropped out of a matt in Dr. Iplier’s fur King was helping work out on one of his and the Host’s visits: a _scorpion_. Complete with a massive barbed tail curled up the flat, horizontal back of his scorpion body.

All in all, they were a pretty… _odd_ …pair.

Bing’s bright smile softened a little. “Hey, there we go! We’re harmless, promise. You’re a dryad right?” King nodded slowly, eyes flicking to Google briefly again. “Okay! Now, forgive me here, but you’re like, not gonna warp the trees or something to attack us right? Nymphs aren’t exactly the _friendliest_ creatures back where we’re from.”

King’s eyes widened, mouth falling open a little. “What? _No!_ What – where are you _from?_ ”

Bing glanced at Google, his eyes a strange golden-orange color to match his scorpion body (and completely shirtless, King couldn’t help but notice), and rubbing the back of his head. “Uh, ever heard of the desert?” When King shook his head, Bing continued. “Okay, see that beach over there? Get rid of the ocean, make _everything_ sand for _miles_ and make it like twenty times hotter. And also make it rain only like once every year. As you can assume, plants there are stubborn and aggressive, and consequently so are their spirits.”

King rubbed one forearm, gaze once more flicking to Google, who was beginning to shift uncomfortably. “Sounds awful. So…what are you guys doing out this far?”

Bing’s smile turned sheepish, and he opened his mouth, but Google lifted his head, uncrossing his arms briefly to push the things further up his nose. “We’re trying to find the City of the Host. So I can get the surgery so I won’t…hurt anyone.” He swallowed harshly, his snakes hissing softly, and King cocked his head to the side, now more curious than afraid of the _very_ rare and renownedly feared creature before him.

Google cleared his throat, arms finally falling to his sides. “ _But_ ,” he continued, turning his head sharply to shoot a _very_ obvious glare at Bing, even though his eyes weren’t visible, “we got a bit… _lost_. Because _this_ one doesn’t know how to follow directions.”

King couldn’t help but laugh a little when Bing’s mouth fell open with outrage, his _very_ large claws clicking a little and his tail shifting a bit to gleam in the sun. “ _Hey!_ I _did_ know where I was going!”

Google arched an eyebrow. “Then why are we at the _sea_ instead of civilization?”

Bing pouted, crossing his arms. “Shut up, Google.”

King snorted, leaning back against with tree with his arms and ankles crossed. “Well, sorry to say this, but the city is on the opposite end of the forest. All you guys literally had to do was go left instead of right.”

Google scowled, his snakes writhing and hissing loudly, and he reached up to smack Bing on the shoulder (who was a solid two feet taller than the both of them due to his massive scorpion body). “ _See?!_ Right is _not_ always the answer!”

King giggle as Bing rolled his eyes and pouted, ‘subtly’ attempting to snip Google with his claws, a move Google danced out of the way of with ease, pushing up the things covering his eyes again. King tilted his head, brow furrowed with curiosity. “If you don’t mind me asking…what _are_ those?”

Google and Bing exchanged a look. “…These?” Google adjusted them again, one of his yellow snakes curling around his wrist and preventing him from lowering his hand.

King nodded, and Bing beamed. “I made them! I call them shades. You can still see through them, but everything’s tinted so the sun isn’t blinding anymore. It makes living in the desert a _Hell_ of a lot easier. But I gave them to him when I found him. Figured I wouldn’t mind being uncomfortable if it meant he felt safer.”

Google blushed heavily, hiding his face in one hand, his other arm wrapped around his middle, and King smiled. “Well…good luck, you two. I hope you guys make it to the city okay. And if you _happen_ to see the Host on one of the rare occasions he leaves his library, tell him King says hi.”

Both creatures’ jaws dropped. “You _know_ him?” Google’s voice was nothing more than a whisper.

King shrugged. “Pretty good friends with him. He and his guardian were here about a month ago, actually.” He grinned cheekily, winking. “You guys wandered into the right section of the shore.”

Google adverted his gaze again, head tilted down. “Yes. And…thank you, for your assistance. I’m not sure many others would’ve been as… _receptive_ to me.”

King’s smile softened. “I’m happy to help. And just so you know, the forest and I will always be here. You know, just in case the city doesn’t work out quite as hoped.”

Google gave him a tiny smile, nodding once, and Bim gave him a short, two fingered salute, and then they were both turning around and retreating back into the forest.

King watched them go, unable to really tear his eyes away from the rhythmic, almost hypnotic movement of Google’s snakes. A few even looked at him, moving and swaying in a way that King thought they might be _waving_. After meeting one himself, King begun to suspect gorgons weren’t the vicious, terrifying, bloodthirsty creatures most painted them to be.

He sunk down the trunk of his tree to settle back down on the grass, shifting into a cross-legged position again and picking up his flower crown. He frowned. A couple of the flowers had wilted, but all it took was a little spark of magic to have them perfect again. Sunset was only a few hours away, after all.

He jumped when there was a chattering by his ear, and the baby squirrel from earlier was clambering back onto his shoulder, her tiny claws digging a little into his bare shoulder as she stretched to sniff at the flower crown before turning to lick his ear. King laughed, reaching up a hand to scratch her head as he returned to work.

He couldn’t help but smile, humming happily as coaxed the little flowers to bloom and sky began to turn pink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to point out that the baby squirrel on King’s shoulder is indeed Bubblegum


	6. Chapter 6

Bim poked his head out of the water, grinning up at King sitting cross-legged at the end of the pier, before he breached his tail rapidly, spraying the dryad with water. King spluttered, falling backwards and wiping at his face as Bim laughed, boosting himself up and gracelessly shifting into a sitting position on the edge of the pier. He giggled as King wiped the last of the seawater from his eyes, pushing himself back upright and smacking Bim on the shoulder before taking his hand. “ _Not_ funny!”

Bim giggled again, squeezing King’s hand and brushing King’s wet hair from his eyes with one finger, the rest of his hand fisted and holding tight to his gift. “Pretty funny to me!”

King pouted, shoulders slumping, while Bim just grinned cheekily, tongue poking out between his teeth. “You’re the worst, you know that?”

Bim winked. “Yep!”

King’s façade broke, and he smiled, letting out a snort of laughter as he reached behind him, nearly falling flat on his back again as he reached for the day’s flower crown, gently placing the wreath of purple and yellow flowers on Bim’s head. “There we go!” King beamed, tapping Bim on the nose and giggling when he sneezed. “It’s a perfect match! Pretty and purple on the outside and sour and yellow on the inside!”

Bim gasped, mouth falling open and letting go of King’s hand in order to place his on his chest in mock hurt. “I _resent_ that!” King just snorted again, laughing into his hand with his head turned away and his shoulders shaking. Bim quickly grinned again himself, taking King’s hand back and squeezing it lightly as his fins idly swished back and forth in the water.

King gave him a find smile before reaching behind himself again, his cheeks steadily growing darker. “Um, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it’s getting close to autumn, and, well, the trees are producing seeds. So um…”

He brought his hand back around, and resting in his palm was a group of six little brown things, oddly shaped with a darker brown sort of cap. Bim gasped, tilting his head as he gingerly picked up one of the little seeds. “You mean…you made these? These are _yours?_ ” King nodded slowly, and Bim locked eyes with him. “And…you’re _sure_ you want me to have them?”

Again, King nodded. “I have literally _hundreds_ more, and they would probably get eaten away, so…it’ll give me a _little_ peace of mind to know that at least six are safe out there.”

King smiled softly, gently passing the other five little seeds to Bim. Bim cradled them all carefully in his hand, running a thumb over each one gently before glancing back up at King. “…What are they called?”

King’s smile widened. “Acorns.”

Bim smiled himself, running his thumb over them again before he carefully set them down on the pier. “Well, I’m afraid I don’t have anything that… _personal_ , but uh…here.”

He fiddled with what was in his other hand before passing it over. King gasped, taking it gingerly. “What…how…where did you…?”

Bim chuckled as King turned over the little green flower, crudely and amateurly carved out of a chunk of a green coral gem, smoothened out by the rough ocean waves. “I found it. About a week ago. Now it didn’t look like that initially of course, I carved it myself with an old bone. Spent _ages_ on it. Though I figured if I kept carving at it, eventually there’d be nothing left.” He blushed heavily, adverting his gaze to stare out at the sea, watching his fins swirl the water. “So um…d-do you like it?”

He hunched his shoulders, letting out a pitiful squeak, when King laughed, cupping Bim’s face and turning it back to face him. “You know, you always call _me_ cute, but I never get to call _you_ cute enough.” Bim flushed further, eyes wide, and King gave him a bright smile, tucking the gemstone flower behind his ear, and Bim watched with amazement as King’s grass-like hair grew to hold it in place. “I _love it_ , Bim. It’s _beautiful_.”

His smile grew impossibly brighter, reaching for Bim’s hand again and his eyes twinkling. He was just… _so cute_ , and _kind_ , and _precious_ , and Bim would do _anything_ to keep that smile in place.

Which led to Bim’s eyes flicking to King’s lips.

Bim swallowed harshly, squeezing King’s hand. “Hey…King…”

King tilted his head, still smiling softly. “Yes?”

Bim’s blush darkened again, his entire face and neck bright red. “C-can I…try…something?”

King righted his head, confusion and curiosity dancing in his expression. “…Sure.”

Slowly, Bim reached up a hand, cupping King’s face gently and stroking his thumb lightly over his cheekbone. He smiled softly as King’s own face began to darken, and then Bim was leaning forward, closing his eyes and connecting their lips in a soft, gently kiss.

King let out a surprised squeak, going rigid for a brief moment before utterly _melting_. He sighed, pressing back and reaching a hand up himself to cup Bim’s face in return. Bim wrapped his other arm around King’s waist, and then he was rolling over and pulling King on top of him, his tail slapping the surface of the water. King gave another squeak, shifting to straddle Bim’s waist as he cupped his face with both hands now, both kissing back with equal enthusiasm as the sound of ocean waves crashing nearby thundered in the background.

At last, they broke apart, and Bim couldn’t help but grin and chuckle at King’s blown eyes and parted lips, both panting heavily. “Um.” King swallowed thickly, then split in a crooked, lopsided smile. “What do you call _that?_ ”

Bim let out a huff of surprised laughter. “What, you’re telling me you’ve never been kissed before?” King shook his head, and Bim raised an eyebrow. “And, how old did you say you were?”

King scoffed. “ _Rude_. 609.”

Bim’s grin widened. “Then _I_ have a _lot_ of wasted years to catch you up on!”

King let out a delighted laugh as Bim rolled them over again so King’s back was now pressed to the pier, Bim lying on top of him. Bim threaded one hand through King’s hair, leaning down to press another kiss to King’s lips, humming softly as both their eyes fluttered shut. Bim couldn’t help but nip at King’s bottom lip with his fangs, _delighting_ in the noise King made in response.

Let’s just say, Bim was a _bit_ late getting home after _that_ particular visit.


	7. Chapter 7

Bim couldn’t stop smiling as he flitted about his bedroom, dusting the sand off the small shell he’d found that has once belonged to a hawksbill sea turtle. It was a shame the creature died, especially at such a young age that the whole shell was barely bigger than Bim’s spread hand, but it was going to make a _really_ cool gift. He had a feeling King would really like it.

The second King crossed his mind – an image of his beaming smile and kiss-swollen lips as they said good-bye yesterday filling his head – Bim barely stopped himself from letting out a dreamy, lovestruck sigh. He was _head over heels_ for King, it was _painfully_ obvious, much to the disapproval of Dark. But at this point, no matter _what_ Dark did, he couldn’t stop Bim from seeing King even if he _tried_. _Especially_ after the previous night.

Someone knocked on the front door, and Bim grinned, grabbing his shell and bolting out of his room. “Dads, Eric’s here! I’m leaving!”

Wilford lifted his head up from where he laid on the floor, hands laced behind his hand and his fins slowly shifting up and down. “Have fun! Don’t do anything _I_ wouldn’t do!”

Bim snorted, throwing open the door. He froze, narrowing his eyes. “You’re not Eric.”

Reynolds shot him a crooked grin, arms crossed and his red octopus-like bottom half writhing a little. “Nope!”

Bim started a bit when he felt one of Reynolds’ tentacles wrap around his tail, but before he could _do anything_ two more were lashing out, wrapping around Bim’s wrists and holding him in place. He dropped the shell in surprise, straining against Reynolds’ hold. “ _Hey!_ What the _Hell_ , Reynolds, get _off_ of me! Dad!”

He glanced over his shoulder, shooting Wilford a distressed look, and Wilford scrambled upright, his own eyes blown wide with confusion. He made to move forward, but then another voice called out, halting him in his tracks. “Hold on, Wil.”

Dark appeared on the top level, emerging from his and Wilford’s bedroom. Bim narrowed his eyes at him, baring his fangs. “ _Dark!_ Did you do this?! Get him _off_ me!”

Dark hissed, baring his own _much larger_ fangs, and Bim, Wilford, and Reynolds all cringed back. “ _No_. I called him here for a _reason_. You’re spending too much time near the surface! You’re going to get hurt, and you _don’t care_ , all because you met some _land dweller_ with a pretty face! It’s too dangerous! So I’m stepping in as your… _impulse control_.”

Bim stopped struggling for a moment, eyes going wide. “What?! But that’s not fair! You can’t do that!”

Dark crossed his arms. “Life _isn’t_ fair, son. I am your father, and you _will_ obey me.”

Wilford drifted a little closer to Dark, eyes flicking rapidly between him and Bim. “Dark, perhaps this is a bit extreme? I personally think it’s _wonderful_ he’s found someone!”

Dark’s gaze snapped to Wilford. “And _you’re_ part of the problem, Wil! You keep… _encouraging_ this! You and I are both _well-aware_ of what happened to the _last_ of our kind to take such an _infatuation_ with the surface!” Dark brought a hand up to cover the two perfectly symmetrical holes buried deep in the side of his neck, straight through his scales.

Wilford’s eyes softened. “Sweetheart, I understand your concerns, but perhaps we should talk about this in private? Let Bim go off to see his friend – though I do believe they’re _more_ than friends after how late he came home last night – and let’s discuss this more. Okay?”

Dark’s eyes narrowed, letting out another low, threatening hiss. His tail thrashed violently in the water. “ _NO!_ ”

As Dark and Wilford argued and fought, Bim scowled, struggling violently and snapping at any of Reynolds’ tentacles that traveled to close to his face and attempted to smack him with his tail. Reynolds reared back, floating almost completely horizontal to avoid Bim’s fangs, his grip tightening on his tail. Bim snarled, jerking his tail, but there was virtually no give from Reynolds. There was the sound of a slamming door, and Bim whipped his head around to glare at Dark. Wilford was nowhere in sight.

Dark hummed low in his throat, hands clasped behind his back, and he raised an eyebrow, eyes cold. “Reynolds, kindly bring him up to his room.”

“Sure thing, boss.” Reynolds shifted, using his remaining five tentacles to propel himself up to the second level, Bim in tow. Bim glanced helplessly over his shoulder, at the wide-open front door. Many of the merfolk of the city were poking their heads out of their homes and whispering. Silver glided into view, staring at Bim with wide, concerned eyes. Bim locked eyes with him, then glanced down at the sea turtle shell still lying in the doorway before his gaze flicked back to Silver, his distress evident. Silver hesitated, but came forward, taking the shell gently in his mouth before swimming off.

Bim was startled out of watching Silver leave by Reynolds dumping him unceremoniously on is bed. Bim immediately tried to make a break for his door, but then Reynolds was grabbing him just below his shoulders, halting him in his tracks. “Reynolds, _let go!_ ”

“Sorry, Bim! It’s for your own good, you know.” Reynolds dragged him back to his bed again, and this time Bim didn’t try to escape. Reynolds planted his fists on his hips. “Dark’s not the only one worried about you. Half the city is freaking out about your little ‘exploits’. You’re not exactly secretive or subtle, Bim.”

Bim pouted, sticking his tongue out and crossing his arms. “Yeah, why is any of that _my_ fault? No one should even be _in_ my business! And it’s _not illegal!_ ”

Reynolds frowned, hands dropping. “That’s not the _point_ , Bim! You could get hurt! _Really_ hurt! Just…pause for a moment and try to see this through Dark’s eyes. He’s trying to protect you.”

Bim scowled, rolling over to press his face into his pillows. “I can take care of _myself_. I’m not a kid anymore! Dark can take that overprotective _stick_ and shove it _further up his ass!_ ”

Reynolds snorted, and his tone softened. “You know, Eric’s really apologetic. He popped by my place and wouldn’t stop fretting until I left. He’s probably still there. Gonna give Ed a heart attack.”

Bim muffled a laugh, smirking into his pillows. “With any luck, that eel’ll die from it.”

Reynolds laughed softly, and Bim stiffened when he felt one of his tentacles ghost over his fins. “I really am sorry, Bim. Maybe you’ll be able to forget about him after a while.”

Bim snorted, but said nothing, flicking his fins. He heard the disturbance of the water as Reynolds moved away. He just sighed, gripping his pillow tightly and sinking his fangs into it to keep from sobbing. As such, he didn’t see someone push the door open a little, didn’t see Dark poke his head in. Bim didn’t see that odd, soft expression that crossed his face, didn’t see him open his mouth before he thought better of it. He didn’t hear Dark close the door, looking oddly… _guilty._

But then again, he was too heartbroken to care.


	8. Chapter 8

King sat cross-legged on the very edge of the pier, waiting patiently for Bim to arrive as the sun slowly sank below the horizon painting the sky _beautiful_ colors and making the ocean look like it was bleeding. He was always early. And Bim had been late before, always saying something about dodging his parents or his ‘bodyguards’ (which he didn’t always succeed in doing). King just had to wait.

He closed his eyes, leaning back on his hands. After finally coming to visit the ocean, he couldn’t _imagine_ his life without it. The sound of the waves was always audible from his tree, but up close, with the scent of the water…it was something _special_ , wasn’t it? A natural _vivacity_ that King wasn’t sure he could live without anymore.

“Ahem…K-King?”

King’s eyes snapped open. That wasn’t Bim’s voice. Nor was it coming from the water. It was coming from…behind him?

King whirled around, eyes narrowing. A human stood behind him, hands clasped behind his back and an odd, shimmering grey robe, his fluffy black hair an untamed _mess_. King’s eyes narrowed further. “Who are you?”

The human shrunk back a little, ducking his head and running one hand through his hair, smoothing it out a bit. “You’ve uh, you’ve actually seen me before, just not in this form. And I’m _positive_ Bim’s mentioned me at least once, but uh…I’m Silver.” He offered King a warm smile. “It’s nice to officially meet you.”

Recognition struck King the second Silver said his name, his eyes widening. “Oh! Yes, Bim’s talked about you, but –” His brow furrowed, cocking his head to the side. “I thought you were a seal?”

Silver smiled again, noticeable smile lines crinkling around his eyes. “Not quite. I’m a selkie. I can shift between both a human and a seal. I just…prefer to stay in the water. Humans are not exactly _friendly_ toward my kind. Or rather, they’re a bit _too_ ‘friendly’.”

King shuddered. “I know.” He slowly got to his feet, demeanor shifting a bit as he eyed Silver a bit warily still. “At the risk of sounding rude…why are you here? Where’s Bim?”

Silver’s expression shifted into something… _reluctant_. “See, about that…Bim’s not coming. I’m sure he’s told you about his parents’… _disapproval_.” King nodded, something _cold_ beginning to take him over, settling deep in his chest. “Well, it was really just _one_ of them who was an issue. And he’s sort of taken it upon himself to make sure Bim doesn’t come back up here. The surface is dangerous for us. Merfolk make great prizes for humans to catch and marvel and stick in aquariums. Bim’s dad was paranoid. So he…placed him on house arrest.”

King’s brow furrowed again, slowly comprehending what he was being told. “So…Bim’s not coming back?”

Silver shook his head, his voice soft, just barely above a whisper. “…No. Not for a long time, if ever. I’m sorry, King. I know he _really_ liked you, and, judging by the way he _constantly_ talked about you, I have a feeling you really like him, too.”

King smiled softly, the cold feeling spreading through his body and making his limbs feel like lead. He didn’t bother to wipe away the tears that collected in the corners of his eyes. “It’s okay. I’ll wait.”

He sat back down on the edge of the pier, crossing his legs slowly and carefully before staring out to sea once more. He could barely see the sun anymore, just a little sliver of gold on the horizon as the world darkened around him. He heard the wood creak behind him as Silver took a step forward, confusion lacing his tone. “…What?”

King looked over his shoulder, tears rolling down his face steadily now and still wearing that soft little smile. “Have you ever watched a tree grow, Silver? Do you know the amount of _patience_ , and _stubbornness_ , and _determination_ it takes to survive, rooted in the same spot and oh so fragile, until, one day, it’s strong enough to provide safety for other little creatures?” He cocked his head to the side. “I have lived on this beach for over six hundred years. I’ve never been anywhere else. I _can’t_ go anywhere else. And when my current tree inevitably dies, I’ll just pick a seed and keep on growing.” He turned back to the sea, drawing a single, shuddering breath. The sun wasn’t visible anymore. “I’ll wait.”

There was silence for a long moment, with nothing by the crashing of the waves in the background and the sea breeze ruffling King’s hair. When Silver spoke again, his voice cracked. “…Okay. I um, I-I have something for you, before I go. It’s…Bim wanted me to give it to you.”

King turned around again, and Silver at last withdrew his hands from behind his back. He was holding…a shell, of some sort, and he passed it over wordlessly. King took it gently, running a hand over it as a few tears splashed onto its surface. “…What is it?”

Silver gave a tiny smile. “It’s a sea turtle shell. That particular type of shell is a rare thing to find, especially whole like that, and _especially_ that small. Bim was _ecstatic_ when he found that half-buried in the sand. He really wanted you to have it.”

King gave a breathless laugh, choking a little on his tears as he swallowed back a sob. His voice was thick and raw with emotion. “It’s beautiful.” He shot Silver a smile. “Thank you.”

Silver gave him another tiny smile back, and King turned back to the ocean, the shell resting in his lap. He heard Silver shift, tears making his vision blurry. “You know, when you two started seeing each other, if Bim had asked me to do this, I would’ve told him to fuck right off. I didn’t exactly think it was a great idea either. But…after listening to Bim just _gush_ about you for the past month…I truly am sorry.”

King didn’t say anything, just continued to stare out at the horizon. He didn’t even hear Silver walk away, and he just barely caught him slipping back into the ocean as a seal on the beach out of the corner of his eye. All King was really aware of were the hot tears sliding silently down his face, chilled and dried by the wind, and the absence of a familiar, warm body next to him on the pier, holding his hand and chatting endlessly.

One of his hands shifted slowly from the top of the shell in his lap to the pier beside him, finger the day’s flower crown he’d made for Bim. It was a pretty one, made out of cute little yellow flowers. He’d found a jade geode, too. It matched the coral gem flower still tucked behind his ear. He wanted to give it to Bim as a way to say that maybe their worlds weren’t as different as they seemed. But of course, that wouldn’t happen now.

A horrific sob tore itself from King’s throat, leaving it burning, and he managed to tear his eyes away from the horizon, glancing down at the flowers. He split in a too wide smile, letting out a broken laugh as more tears flooded down his face. The flowers were wilted, a few even faded and brown, far from the vibrant yellow they’d once been. Fitting.

King turned back to the sea and sobbed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who don't know selkie lore and didn't get Silver's comment about humans being 'too friendly', if a human steals and hides a selkie's seal coat the selkie is then forced to be their slave until they find it, and if the human gives them BACK their coat, then they're married with no option of divorce, something about magical bindings. So yeah. You can imagine how dickheaded humans would use that to their 'advantage', if you have the stomach to call it that


	9. Chapter 9

Bim hadn’t left his room in nearly 24 hours now. Not since Dark had hired Reynolds to gracelessly dump him on his bed. He didn’t have the energy to, not with his limbs and tail feeling as if his veins had been packed with sand. Also the fact that _rage_ had quickly flooded him along with his heartbreak, and he was just _livid_ with Dark. He didn’t want to run the risk of seeing him outside his room. Wilford had tried to comfort, sitting on his bed and attempting conversation, but Bim had stubbornly and childishly refused to respond back. And Wilford had given up soon enough. So that just left Bim alone, with nothing to comfort himself with but the dozens of little gifts King had given him over the past month or so.

Which was where Bim was now, tucked into a far corner of his room with his tail folded up to his chest and his fins brushing against the floor, clutching his handful of acorns and trying not to cry. A couple of the little acorns floated, and Bim kept letting one go and float up a little before gently guiding it back into his palm, watching with dead eyes as he continuously let pieces of King go before snatching them back. He _missed_ him. _So so_ much. To the point where his heart physically _ached_ with grief.

Bim didn’t look up from what he was doing, nor did he stop, when he heard a light knock on his door. “Go away, Dad.” His eyes drifted from the acorn to the door only when he saw it be pushed open in his peripherals. “Wilford, I said _go away_.”

“Shut the fuck up, Bim! You’re gonna get us caught!”

At that _very_ familiar Southern drawl, Bim finally snapped to attention, eyes narrowing to slits and baring his fangs when Ed drifted into his room, his electric eel tail gliding smoothly along through the water. “What are _you_ doing here?”

“We’re busting you out!” Reynolds propelled himself in next, followed quickly by Silver and Eric.

Bim tilted his head to the side, slowly unfolding his tail and clutching his acorns close to his chest. “…Why? I thought you were all on Dark’s side?”

“Things change.” Silver was the only one to actually approach him, resting his head in Bim’s lap. “I saw King yesterday. He’s in a worse state than _you_ are, I don’t…I don’t know _how_ to describe it. It was like the air itself was rippling with his grief. And…he said he’d wait for you, for as long as it takes. I hovered by the shore for a while afterwards, and I checked this morning. He’s still just sitting on the end of the pier. He…he _needs_ you.”

Bim choked out a sob, clutching his acorns tighter. He righted himself, floating about the water with Silver hovering beside him. “I need to see him.”

“That’s why we’re here.” Eric shot him a small smile, wringing his hands nervously.

Ed glanced at his adopted son, then at the door. “Great, yeah, sure, okay, let’s _go_ before we’re caught!”

“That won’t be necessary.”

All heads snapped to face the door as Dark slipped inside, hands clasped behind his back and an eyebrow raised. Bim’s expression slowly contorted into a snarl, fangs _very_ visible and hissing softly. “Go _away_ , Dark!”

Dark blatantly ignored him, surveying the little group that had apparently broken into their house. “I would like to talk to my son. _Alone_ , please.”

The four of them filed out, shooting wary glances at Dark as they passed. Dark either didn’t notice or didn’t care, and when the last bit of Reynolds’ tentacles disappeared, he closed the door, slipping it shut with a resounding click. Dark glanced at Bim, but quickly adverted his gaze, drifting a little closer, and Bim hissed a little louder. “Can…can we talk?”

Bim crossed his arms, tail thrashing a bit as he refused to look at Dark and made his way toward the little glass chest he’d found once that he was keeping King’s gifts in, returning the acorns to their proper place. “Why? What do we have to talk about?”

Dark sighed, drifting a little closer. “Look, I know what I did was a bit… _harsh_.” Bim snapped toward him, opening his mouth, but Dark raised a finger. “I know, I know, it’s an understatement.” A tiny smile graced his lips, but it quickly fell. “That being said, I _do_ regret it. It wasn’t fair to you.”

Bim hissed again. “Yeah _no shit_.”

Dark burst into laughter, quickly smothering it with a hand, and Bim finally cracked a _tiny_ smile. “Yes well, you do see where I was coming from, right?” Dark came forward completely, resting a hand on Bim’s shoulder and his eyes filled with concern. “I was _worried_ about you, Bim. I _still_ am. But, after talking it over _extensively_ with Wil, I think I have a solution.” Bim raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms again, and Dark cleared his throat, adverting his gaze again briefly. “Would you…be willing to take Wil and I to meet him?”

Bim’s eyes shot wide, jaw hitting the floor and his arms falling to his sides. “Hold on, pause, wait wait wait wait wait. You want to _meet_ King?!”

Dark withdrew his hand from Bim’s shoulder, using it instead to cover the holes in his throat and rub the back of his neck. “Well – yes. I suppose it’d soothe my nerves to know that you were genuinely safe up there. Plus, meeting the boy my son is so _infatuated_ with would _definitely_ have to happen at _some_ point anyway.” Dark grinned, his own fangs glinting.

Bim flushed, hunching his shoulders and turning his head. “Shut up.”

Dark chuckled, turning toward the door. “Come on. Your usual meeting time is sunset, yes? That’s starting soon.”

Bim gasped, shooting out the door past Dark and into the main area, just in time to see Wilford shooing the last of their unexpected guests out the door. Wilford spun around, giving Bim a bright, beaming smile. “Hey kiddo! Ready to go!”

Bim screwed his face up at the name, but he didn’t let it bring him down, quickly flinging open the front door as well. “Yep yep yep, let’s go, _please_ , we’re going to be late!”

Dark chuckled again as he joined Wilford, both trailing after Bim. “You know, technically you’re already late by a whole day.”

“ _Yeah and who’s fucking fault is that?!_ ”

“Language, Bim.”


	10. Chapter 10

King still sat on the end of the pier, watching the sun set for the second time in a row with no sign of Bim returning. He’d long run out of tears, tear tracks marring his face and a strange glaze over his eyes as he stared out at the horizon. Silver said he wouldn’t be back. Perhaps he should go home. Being this far away from his tree for so long was doing him no favors – he knew his skin was duller, his hair browning and dying. If Bim somehow _did_ come back, he wanted to look his best, right?

Slowly, with each limb feeling like leaden weights, he picked himself up off the edge of the pier, cradling the turtle shell close to his chest. Hesitating a brief moment, he gently picked up the flower crown and geode as well, the crown wilted and dead at this point, before drifting back to his tree. He set the three items down in a safe, natural bowl made by his roots before melding back with his home. Instantly he felt _physically_ better, but…he still felt cold. And lonely. And _crushed_. Maybe the other dryads of the forest had it right. Maybe it would be better to never leave his tree, save desperate emergencies. It was safer here. Less of a chance to get _attached_ to things that could _so easily_ be taken away.

“Hey King!”

King froze, poking his head out of his tree. That sounded like…

“ _King!_ ”

There was a flash of purple by the pier, and then _Bim_ was appearing on the end of it, grinning brightly with his arms folded. King gasped, rapidly emerging fully from his tree. He paused for a moment, simply staring, before he grabbed the dying flower crown and the geode and _sprinted_ for the pier, pumping as magic as he could into the flowers to heal them. He skidded to a halt at the edge, staring down at Bim’s grinning face, his own lips parted with surprise. “You – But – Silver said –”

Bim stuck his bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout, boosting himself up to his arms’ full length. “Aw, you should know me well enough by now! I couldn’t keep away from you if I tried, and the others _certainly_ can’t!”

King let out a short laugh, covering his mouth with one hand as tears sprung to his eyes. He slowly sat down on the pier, setting the geode aside and gently placing the flower crown on Bim’s head, the flowers as yellow as they were when he first made it. His hands strayed to Bim’s face, one cupping his cheek and the other brushing the hair from his eyes. King smiled, a few rouge tears rolling down his face. “I missed you.”

Bim gave him a warm, adoring smile back, falling back into the ocean a little as he brought one hand up to cover King’s on his cheek. “I missed you, too. A _lot_.”

Unable to help himself, King leaned forward, placing a lingering kiss to Bim’s forehead before pressing their foreheads together. “I thought you weren’t coming back. Silver said you were…on house arrest?”

Bim snorted, but he pulled away, dropping even more into the ocean as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Yeah um, see, I had to pull a few strings to convince my parents that seeing you wasn’t all that bad. Um…I’m just gonna apologize ahead of time. _Sorry_.”

King arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms, and shifting to the a little to make way for Bim to boost himself up to sit on the pier. “What ‘strings’, exactly, did you pull?”

Bim flushed, opening his mouth as he reached for King’s hand, but he never got as far as making sound, because _someone_ was poking their head out of the water a few feet away from the end of the pier, their most noticeable features being a mop of bright pink hair and a matching, styled mustache. King gasped, and Bim flushed further. “ _Psst,_ Bim! Can we come out now?”

Bim curled forward, hiding his face in his hands. “ _Dad! Shut up!_ ”

Another someone surfaced, his skin oddly grey and his hair as fluffy and expertly styled as Bim’s. He elbowed the pink one. “ _Wil!_ Be patient!”

Bim groaned loudly, his fins smacking the surface of the water, and King, after getting over his initial shock, giggled. “You brought your parents?”

Bim dropped his hands, but quickly moved to hide his face against King’s throat, wrapping his arms around him and pressing completely against him, making King blush a little. “I was forced to!”

The odd grey one snorted, crossing his arms. “Lies are unbecoming, Bim. You practically dragged us out of the house.”

Bim whined, and King laughed again, covering his mouth with his hand. The pink one flashed a bright grin, swimming forward and boosting himself up to cross his arms on top of the pier. Up close, he had a noticeable twinkle in his eye. “Hello! I’m Wilford Warfstache, one of Bim’s fathers! _Delightful_ to meet you at last!”

King beamed, bowing his head as much as he could with Bim attached to his throat. “Nice to meet you, too!”

Wilford gasped, then split in a broad grin, his pink tail visible floating just below the surface of the water and glinting in the last dying rays of the sun. He nudged Bim’s tail, the only phrase to describe his grin being _‘shit-eating’_. “Oh you weren’t lying, Bim! He _is_ cute!”

King _rapidly_ flushed dark, _dark_ green, and Bim _noticeably_ grew warmer against his skin before he suddenly pulled back. His own face was _dark_ red, and he made to slap at Wilford with his tail, the grey one muffling laughter in the background with a hand as Wilford winked and backed off. “ _Shut up shut up shut up!_ Why are you _like_ this?!”

Wilford cackled as he floated back to the other one, who smacked him on the shoulder before coming forward himself. King eyed the twin holes in his neck warily, more than aware with what they signified. He raised a hand, and King cocked his head to the side, confused, but when Bim nudged him he took it, shaking it lightly. A small but warm smile graced the other’s expression. “Hello. My name is Darkiplier, Bim’s _other_ father.”

King opened his mouth to say something, but instead his eyes went wide as Bim managed to smack Dark with his tail, sending him dunking below the surface with surprise. Bim crossed his arms as Dark resurfaced, glaring through narrowed eyes. “ _He’s_ the problematic one.”

Dark hissed, and though it was clearly meant to be taken as playful judging by Bim’s response of sticking his tongue out, King couldn’t help but swallow harshly at the sight of Dark’s _much_ larger fangs. Still, he gave a smile, shifting in place a bit. “Well…do I pass inspection?”

Dark hummed, crossing his arms and floating on his back, his tail flicking the surface and poorly hiding a smile. “I suppose. Wil wasn’t wrong, you certainly live up to all of Bim’s gushing.” Wilford snorted, and Bim let out another distressed whine, both he and King blushing bright. Bim made to smack Dark again, but Dark just laughed and danced out of reach. Suddenly his demeanor shifted, and he boosted himself onto the pier, pushing himself up as far as his arms would allow. “What about this place? Do humans pose a threat? What sort of creatures frequent here?”

King blinked, mildly overwhelmed by the sudden questions. “Uh, I haven’t seen a human here in just over a century, not since the family that built this pier and that little cabin. I occasionally get visits from two creatures specifically, and a couple of pixies, but they’re harmless. Usually, at least. It’s just me and the other nymphs, and they’re all pretty reclusive. The forest protects from and deters most else.”

Bim hissed lowly at Dark. “See? I _told_ you it wasn’t bad up here! Now _go away!_ You’ve met him, you can put your anxieties to rest, and I’d like to talk to my boyfriend _alone_ please!”

Dark raised an eyebrow, exchanging a glance with Wilford, and King made an odd squeaking sound before he flushed _dark_ green, ducking his head and fiddling with his robe. “Um…boyfriend?”

Wilford giggled, eyes visibly lighting up as Bim promptly stopped functioning, freezing in place and face red. He linked elbows with Dark, tugging him back towards the horizon. “Come on, Darky, I do believe that’s our cue. Let’s leave them in peace.”

The two elder merfolk disappeared into the water, and King shuffled to face Bim a little more, head still bowed and now toying with the geode in his lap. “So…”

Bim turned his own head away, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly and making small waves ripple across the water with his fins. “I’m…sorry, it just…slipped out. But um…I mean, only if you want to…but like…could we? Be boyfriends?”

King fiddled with the geode a moment more before nodding slowly, lifting his head to give Bim a small little half-smile. “Okay. Yeah. Boyfriends.”

He had to say, he’s seen Bim smile before, but the _radiance_ of the one that split Bim’s face after King said that could rival the very sun.

King’s face slowly darkened again, eyes wide, and he cleared his throat, glancing down at the geode. “Um, I have this. It’s from yesterday, and um…well, here.”

He passed the geode over, and Bim gasped, taking it gently. The jade glinted beautifully in the moonlight, almost reflecting the stars above as Bim held it up in front of his face. “It’s _beautiful!_ I’ve never seen anything like it!” He ran a tentative finger slowly over the jagged edges of the geode, eyes blown completely wide.

King chuckled softly, shifting closer to Bim’s side. “It’s jade. It’s a gemstone. A fairly rare one, too. I…wanted you to have it because…it matches.” He fingered the coral gem flower still tucked behind his ear (his hair has _refused_ to let go of it), smiling softly. “Maybe the land and the sea aren’t as different as people think.”

Bim grinned, running a finger over the gem again before setting the geode behind him. The side glance he gave King was the only warning King got before he was _launching_ himself at King, firmly pressing their lips together. King let out a started squeak, arms wrapping around Bim as his back hit the pier. When Bim finally pulled back, he pressed their foreheads together instead, his breath warming King’s cheek. “You…are the _greatest_ thing to ever come out of my constant rule-breaking.”

King laughed, one hand sliding up to finger the soft hair at the nape of Bim’s neck as the other splayed out against a patch of scales on his lower back. “Really now? Guess it’s a good a thing I got your parents’ approval then.”

He grinned cheekily, and Bim flushed. “Shut up.” He stole another quick kiss before propping his head up on his elbows, cheeks resting on each fist and framing King’s head. He could feel the muscles in Bim’s tail move as he shifted to cover him more completely. “Seriously though. You’re _perfect_. And…um…” His blush darkened, and he ducked down to hide his face against King’s throat. “…I love you.”  

King froze, face burning. “Um.”

Bim tensed, and he pulled back, though he refused to look King in the eye. “I’m sorry, I…you don’t _have_ to say it back, I um –”

He cut it himself off, swallowing harshly, and King’s eyes widened. “No! No no, it’s not that, I just –” King smiled, closing his eyes and guiding Bim’s head down to press their foreheads together. “…I think I love you, too.”

There was a moments pause, then King was squeaking again as Bim crashed their lips together, cupping his face in both hands and pulling him closer. King’s hands flailed for a moment before they settled in Bim’s hair, pulling lightly at the strands. Bim nipped gently at King’s bottom lip before he pulled back, gaze filled with adoration as he caressed King’s cheekbones with his thumbs. “You know,” he mumbled, tail flexing. “We could see each other more often. Now that Dark isn’t going to interfere.”

King flashed another cheeky smile, tone light and joking. “Or, you could just move up here, closer to the shore. Then we could see each other all the time.” He didn’t notice when Bim went stiff, letting go of Bim’s hair and pouting when he spotted the yellow stains decorating his hands. “Aw, I crushed the flower crown.”

Bim smiled, pressing a kiss to King’s nose and reaching for one of his hands, lacing their fingers together. “Well, when I move up here, you could just make me a new one.”

King snorted. “I’d make you a new one any – wait.” He pushes himself up onto his forearms, letting go of Bim’s hand and tilting his head to the side. “You’re serious?!”

Bim shrugged. “Might as well. Now that we’re officially _boyfriends_.” He winked, grinning cheekily, and chuckled when King flushed.

King closed his eyes, falling back to the pier. Bim hummer softly as he leaned in for another slow kiss, his fins slapping lightly against the pier. King slumped, relaxing completely as Bim’s siren song washed over him. He wrapped his arms loosely around Bim’s neck, pressing back gently into the sweet kiss and sighing softly through his nose.

He was _so glad_ he decided to visit the ocean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me...like all week to write this monster of a fucking story. And I _love it so much._ Anyway, I already am planning on branching off of this, got two stories planned, one about the Host and Dr. Iplier and the other about Bing and Google, but please, if you want more of this AU, let me know! I'm just gonna write the stories and post them as I finish them, and the Ego Manor series will continue with its schedule along side!


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